Improvement in car-couplings



J. J. FORT.

Car Coupling. No. 37,908. Patented Mar. 17, 1863.

Witnesses= AM. PHOTO-LIT?! CU- N-Y- KUSBORNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. FORT, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-CCU PLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,908, dated March 17, 1863.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. FORT, of the city of Oshkosh, in the county Winnebago and State of \Visconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Coupling and Uncoupling of Railway-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal section Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section showing the manner of uncoupling. and Fig. 4 a geometrical elevation of face of bunter.

a a is a frame or body of bunter and coupling, constructed of iron, with slots at z i, in which guard D dtraverses; and K Kare guides and conduct the connecting line b to its proper position with catch 0, as seen at h in Fig. 2.

D at is a guard with the arm (1 weighted, and serves to secure the connecting-link b in its relative position with catch 0, as seen at h in Fig. 2, and with the arm 6 secured to guard D dat Z and the lever f, both connected to shaft 9, serves as an uncoupler, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3. The slot lin guard D d is only of sufficientlength to allow the connecting-link, when guarded, to traverse the perpendicular face of catch 0 without becoming detached, thereby allowing the connecting-link to adapt itself to cars of uneven height, and avoid any labored strain that might otherwise occur were the connectinglink confined to a particular position. The guard D d is confined in its perpendicular traverse to the length of the slot by means of locking the lever f in the seat m, as seen at m in Fig. 2.

In operation it is a self-coupler. The weight of the connecti ag-link, resting in the concave bottom N, Fig. 4, of opening in bunter, serves to maintain the connecting-link in a central position,and as the cars come together .it is still further guided toa central position by the inward inclined sidesK K, (seen in Figs. 1 and 4,) so that the connecting-link rides with certainty over the inclined side of catch 0, (the guard D at giving way by traversing the opening i i,) and drops home. The guard D d has sufficient play in i i to allow the hunters to come together, the link seated in opening h following the guard. The connecting-link having a seat in D d is uncoupled by means of unlocking the leverf at n and raising the guard D d, as seen in Fig. 3.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is r 1. The construction, application, and adjustabilit-y of the guard D d, and the use thereof in combination with catch 0 and frame a a, substantially as set forth.

2. The application of the arm 0, lever f, and shaft g, for the uses and purposes set forth.

J. J. FORT. Witnesses:

W. G. Rrron, C. It. HAMLIN. 

